Means Restriction for Suicide Prevention: An Umbrella Review

Objective: The aim of this umbrella review is to summarise existing international evidence on means restriction activities for the prevention of suicide, and provide evidence of their success or lack thereof. The consolidated and integrated information can help inform potential public health interventions.

Methods: An overview of published systematic reviews in English was undertaken. There were no time restrictions. Six major repositories of systematic reviews databases were searched for relevant studies and the reference lists of all selected systematic reviews searched for identifying reviews not retrieved within the database searches. Included studies needed to be Cochrane or non-Cochrane systematic reviews (with or without meta-analyses) that explored means restriction activities for suicide prevention.

Results: A total of 670 records were identified across the searches; 11 reviews were eligible for inclusion. Three further reviews were identified through list searches with one eligible for inclusion. Thus, 12 systematic reviews were included in this umbrella review. Activities undertaken around the world were implemented for the prevention of suicide by firearms, jumping from heights and in front of a moving object, and suicide by hazardous agents. A variety of factors associated with the success and/or failure of mean restriction activities were identified, including the prevalence of method and presence or lack of a substitution effect. Most reviews found means restriction activities successful in the prevention of suicide.

Conclusions: Means restriction is an empirically proven strategy that should be considered for the prevention of suicide. Priority should be given to the most prevalent methods of suicide and implementation of locally relevant solutions, including the cultural context of the targeted population. Other important factors such as minimisation of any substitution effect need to be considered when implementing means restriction activities for suicide prevention.